AMMAN NEW CAMP (Wihdat)

Amman New Camp, known locally as Wihdat, was one of the four camps established after 1948 to accommodate Palestine refugees who left Palestine as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

The camp was set up in 1955 for some 5,000 refugees on an area of 488,000 square metres south east of Amman. The refugees were initially accommodated in 1,400 shelters constructed by UNRWA, and in 1957 the Agency built 1,260 additional shelters. Over the years the refugees have added more rooms to improve their shelters and the camp has grown into an urban-like quarter surrounded by areas of high population density.

UNRWA provides education, health and relief and social services through 21 installations operated by 670 UNRWA staff.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• There are 50,061 registered refugees;

• UNRWA runs 16 schools for 22,474 pupils in 2006/2007, with a teaching staff of 359. These schools operate on a double shift basis because of lack of adequate premises and lack of funds to build new schools;

• The Agency's two health centres are run by 9 doctors, 2 dentist, and 44 nurses and assistants for some 1200 patients daily;

• 550 families receive assistance through the Agency's special hardship case programme;

• There is one women's programme centre run by local women committee with financial and technical support from UNRWA. About 7,140 women benefit from the centre every year. The women's committees also run two kindergartens which provide day care for 333 children. A Legal Advice Bureau was opened in 1994 which provides legal consultancy services for women;

• A community rehabilitation centre was established in 1996 to provide day care facilities for about 259 refugees with disabilities. The centre is run by the local community with financial and technical support from UNRWA.